Ghost Whispers
by raptoregg64
Summary: It's been a year since the Jellicles were overthrown by Macavity, and six months since Coricopat died. How will his mate and his sister cope- and what will happen to the still-shaky Rebellion?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I know that I should really be working on my crossover, or at least Seven Seas, but I got this idea and really wanted to write it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT TS ELIOT STOP I AM NOT ANDREW LLOYD WEBER STOP I DON'T LOOK OR ACT LIKE THEM STOP**

**That is my fax-disclaimer.**

**One more thing…**

_**Coricopat's thoughts**_

_Tantomile's thoughts_

**Onwards!**

**~*~**

**Tantomile's Point of View**

It had been a year. A year since the Jellicles were overthrown by Macavity, and six months since you had died.

_Oh, Coricopat, are you up there in Heaviside, trying to get an audience with Bast or the Everlasting Cat so they can stop this reign of terror? Why did you even try to resist the Hidden Paw? You shouldn't have fought him. If you hadn't, you would be alive right now._

_**But sister, **_your voice explained in my head, _**I had to try. He would have discovered all our plans if I hadn't died. Even I can't hold out under torture forever. No, it was better for me to die than have the Resistance discovered.**_

_I really have to stop imagining that you're talking to me, Corico. I'm going crazy. I won't last here, I've got to escape! We were never meant to be separated; don't you understand that?_

_**You were always the more mystical one,**_ you say.

_Hah! I was only as strong as you were. Without you, I'm weak. Without you… I'm nobody. Worthless. Trash._

Jemima approached my silently.

"You aren't the only one who misses him, you know," she said darkly.

"I know that," I replied irritably. "But we were twins. No one could possibly miss him like I do…"

"Bast, Tantomile!" Jemima snarled in an uncharacteristic display of temper. "I loved him! And now he's gone! How do you think that makes me feel, huh?" I looked up, surprised. Calming slightly, she placed a hand gently on her stomach.

"And now… and now my kits won't be able to know their father."

"You're… you're…"

"Pregnant? Yeah." My long-buried maternal instincts kicked in.

"Everlasting Cat! We need to get you out of here!" Okay, I guess they weren't _that _maternal.

_**You've got that right,**_ you teased.

_Oh, shut up._ _What were you thinking, anyways? Oh, that's right, you didn't think._ I ignored your protests in the back of my mind and hugged Jemima.

"I'm sorry," I offered. She smiled feebly.

"I'm sorry, too," she replied.

**~*~**

**Jemima's POV**

_A crowd gathered around the ripped, shredded tire. Everyone's attention was focused on the two toms in the center of the clearing. One was strong, an aura of power oozing from each lock of ginger fur. The other one was hurt, thin and starving, with claw marks marring his silver fur. It pained me to see Coricopat like that._

"_Tell me, Coricopat, and don't make it harder on yourself," Macavity said persuasively. "What are the Resistance's plans?" Corico remained silent. "Tell me!"_

"_NO!" the silver tom shouted, leaping towards his interrogator. "I'll never tell you!"_

_What is he doing?!__ I thought. __It's suicide to attack Macavity! __Then I realized what he was doing. Corico knew that Macavity would torture the information out of him, so attempted to get in one last shot at Macavity before he died. He __knew__ he would die._

_It was hopeless- Macavity swatted him aside as easily as a fly, raking his claws across my mate's throat before Cori could even touch him._

I woke up with a start, shivering, and pulled my blanket around me.

"Oh, Coricopat… why did you have to go?"

**Ta-da! Kinda short, but that's just the prologue. Yes, Cori and Jemmie are mates. (This is AFTER the musical, by the way. It's also kinda AU, cuz they wear clothes and stuff. I imagine the mystic twins in trenchcoats for some reason… anyways!) And yes, Jemmie's going to have a bunch of luverly Coricopat-Jemima kittens… UNLESS SHE DIES FIRST!!! MWA-HA-HA! But, as I've already killed my favorite character, I don't think I could handle my other favorite dying… oh, and be warned: I am fond of ghosts. :) Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!!! Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

**~*~**

**Tantomile's POV**

"WHAT?!" Demeter screeched. "You're… you're…" Jemima sighed.

"Yes, Mum, I'm going to be a mother."

"The reason why we're telling you now is because we need to get your daughter to Jenny and Jelly," I explained. Our two healers had escaped with Mistoffelees and Quaxo right before Deuteronomy was overthrown. They had gone to create alliances with nearby tribes, hoping to amass an army to take back the Junkyard. We still hadn't heard from any of them.

Demeter took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.

"All right. I'll see what arrangements I can make. Tantomile-" she added as a nervous afterthought, "Has there… has there been any news on Munkustrap yet?" Her mate- Jemima's father- had been captured and held prisoner when Macavity conquered us.

"I'm afraid not, Demeter."

"Oh… okay then. Oh, and Tantomile?" I was about to leave when she called after me.

"I'm sorry. About Coricopat."

"I'm sorry, too. But that isn't going to bring my brother back," I replied bitterly.

~*~

Jemima and I left during the changing of the guards. Macavity's hench-cats were lazy creatures, and if one of them didn't show up at the end of the shift, it was of no concern to them. They would just walk off, leaving the gate wide open.

Demeter had arranged for Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to… "detain" the guards while we ran from the Junkyard. Once Jemima and I had crept through the "Fire Zone," the area with various traps to stop escapees from… well, escaping, we broke out into a run, Jemima running as fast as a pregnant queen could. I slowed down to stay by her side.

We ran for as long as we could, before collapsing into a heap in an alley.

"Ow," Jemima moaned.

"Are you okay?" I inquired, concerned.

"Yeah," she panted, "Just a little sore."

"_**You better take care of her, or else…"**_

I startled at the sudden voice, appearing and disappearing in a short gust of air.

"Coricopat?" I whispered fearfully.

No reply.

**~*~**

**Coricopat's POV**

"Let me in!" I snarled. The Heaviside-Guard shook his head in a no.

"I need to speak to one of Them!"

"That's what they all say," he replied in a bored voice.

"Let me in… or… or I'll kill you!"

"Good luck with that. It might be a bit hard, seeing as how I'm already dead."

"Oh. Right…. LET ME IN!" Now he was getting annoyed.

"How many times do I have to tell you, kit, Bast and the Everlasting Cat don't see visitors on Tuesday! Come back tomorrow between eight and twelve, and I might be able to book you an appointment for the next century."

"The next century?! I don't have that long!" He looked at me funnily.

"Of course you do; you're dead."

"Stop reminding me," I grumbled. Suddenly, I had an idea. "Let me in… or I'll start singing horribly off-key opera!"

"I can take that," the Guard replied.

"_Stop teasing my son, Damien."_ A loud voice swept through the room like a summer breeze. With it came the hot, dry feel of the desert. A glowing light appeared between the Guard- Damien- and I. It quickly solidified into a dark-skinned woman with the head of a cat. I instinctively kneeled.

"Bast, Lady of the Flame, consort of the Supreme Pollicle Anubis, Protector of Ra, Sister of the Everlasting Cat, Savior of the Jellicle Empire," Damien announced. Then he looked at me. "He's your son?" Bast nodded.

"_In spirit… he and his sister are two of the Sacred Three."_

"The Sacred Three?" I questioned, confused. In all of my readings, I had never discovered anything like this.

"_Yes. The Three are destined to save the Jellicle Kingdom, with the combined power of the Three Kingdoms of the Soul- the psychic, the supernatural, and the holy. You are the Ghost-cat, protector of the Supernatural Realm. You are represented by the new moon, the yew tree, and azurite. Your sister is the Twilight-cat, protector of the Psychic realm. I won't bore you with the details." _Bast smiled.

"Um… yeah, that's really cool, but… Macavity's taken over and is destroying the tribe!"

"_I know," _the goddess told me. _"That's why you haven't moved on to your next Jellicle Life yet. You're not supposed to be here."_ I perked up a bit.

"So… can you resurrect me, or something?" I asked.

"_No."_ My hopes fell.

"But you're a goddess!" She chuckled at this.

"_Damien, you may leave us now. Coricopat, come with me to the Blue Sitting Room." _She waved her hand, and my sight started to blur. I felt like I was crumbling; crumbling into millions of grains of sand…

We landed on an elegantly upholstered couch inside the "Blue Sitting Room."

"_Now, _-"_

"How do you know my third name?" I asked automatically. I had felt an unfamiliar, but strangely comforting tug at my soul when she said it.

"_As you said, I am a goddess. Anyways, I would like to explain why I won't resurrect you." _She summoned two cups of tea with a flick of her tail.

"_Sometimes, _, it is better not to directly interfere in the lives of Jellicles." _That's it? No long, fancy speech dictating exactly why she wouldn't bring me back to life?

"_However, it is occasionally acceptable to plant ideas into certain Jellicles' heads. It is just a matter of choosing the right mind."_ She smiled and waved a paw towards the floor. The carpet dissolved, revealing…

Tantomile and Jemima.

"Jemima?" I whispered.

"_She can't hear you," _Bast said. _"Step through the portal, _." _I stepped through the hole in the floor, until I was beside my sister. The goddess elegantly moved next to me, and bent over to whisper into Tantomile's ear.

"_Go; find Mistoffelees. He will be able to help you. He'll have a spell that can resurrect Coricopat." _She gestured for me to say something. I took a look at my sleeping mate, and murmured to my sister,

"You better take care of her, or else…"

**~*~**

**Ta-da! Did you like it? Did you not like it? Review and let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yo, yo, yo, dawg! (That was my Randy Jackson impression.) Here's the next chapter! Sorry it's taken so long. **** Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CATS. If I did, I would have given Cori and Tanto a bigger role. **

**Coricopat's thought-speak**

_Tantomile's thoughts (and thought-speak)_

**~*~**

**Tantomile's POV**

"Run!" Jemima screamed. I needed no instructions as the trademark barking of Pollicles got louder and louder.

"C'mon, Jemima, you can make it!" I encouraged, thinking of the ghostly whisper I had heard on the wind. No matter what happened to me, I had to protect Jemima.

"I can't do it, Tanto," she groaned. The Pollicles- a Rottweiler and a Husky- were beginning to close in.

"Yes, you can," I stated. "We just have to get onto that fire escape; then we'll be safe…" We struggled to the old, rusted escape ladder. I nudged Jemima to get her moving up. Once she was safe and away from where the Pollicles could reach her, I began to climb up. The ladder trembled as I slowly made my way up. I could almost feel the Pollicles' breath on my flanks…

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" a familiar voice screamed. A bright blue bolt of lightning came from nowhere, hitting the Pollicles on the rump.

"Nice timing, Misto," I said, grinning. The Conjuring Cat and his little brother, Quaxo, popped their heads over the edge of the roof.

"Hey, Tanto; hi Jemima," Quaxo greeted. "Where's Cori?" I felt a lump in my throat at the mention of my dead brother.

_He won't be dead for long- Misto will be able to help…_

"There's no time for questions now," Misto told us somberly. "It isn't safe here. Come with us." With that, he turned around, his long black cloak swishing behind him as he left.

We followed him into the basement of an abandoned library, where he conjured up a fire. I was finally able to properly look at him since he left the Junkyard.

He no longer had that naïve, cheerful look in his eyes, though his body was still youthful. I could tell that our once optimistic Mister Mistoffelees had seen some terrible things happen…

"Where are Jenny and Jelly?" Jemima asked.

"They're with a Scouse tribe, in Liverpool," Quaxo answered happily, just glad to see us. Then a frown crossed his face. "Why isn't Coricopat here?" I took in a deep breath.

"He died," I said flatly. "Macavity killed him. He wanted information on the Resistance, and Cori wouldn't give us away…" My voice cracked on the last word. Straightening myself before I could have anyone get all soppy on me, I turned to Misto.

"That's where you come in, Misto," I declared. "Do you… do you know a spell that can-"

"Raise the dead?" Misto questioned. "No, Tanto, I don't." Softening at my expression, he added, "But there might be something in here. There are lots of dusty old tomes that you could search through, if you'd like. Why did you leave the Yard?" The sudden change of topic threw me off.

"Because I'm going to have kittens, and I don't want them to be raised in Macavity's Yard," Jemima replied. "I want them to be free and happy. It's what their father would have wanted."

"N- Ndebele, near, nearby, neat…" I murmured, running my hands along the entries in the log of all books in the library. "Nebular hypothesis, necessitate, Neckar, necklace, neckpiece, necrosis, nectarine, Nebraska, nebulous, necessity, neckband, necklace tree, necktie- aha! Necromancy, 133.35." I quickly walked along the shelves, looking at the titles of the books. I stopped once I had reached the shelf I was looking for.

"Alright, Tanto, let's get to work." I jumped, and glared at Jemima.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She ignored me.

"I brought pens and paper, so I can make notes on what we find. Pick out five books and find a table. Here's your writing kit." The small queen handed me a pen and a piece of paper. I placed them on a table and selected a few books- "_Study of the Magical Arts: Necromancy, Books One, Two, and Three" "Those Who Dared to Disturb the Dead" _and _"So You Want to be a Necromancer?"_ Jemima grabbed five books to look through on a separate table, and I started on the first book.

"_Necromancy, dear reader, is a dangerous art, and should be practiced with care…"_ I struggled through the difficult, medieval wordings and complicated text. We worked at the books for who-knows-how-long. Quaxo apparently came in and gave us more paper when we needed it. I never noticed- I was too absorbed in my work.

"Tantomile, Jemima, I have some dinner here if you're hungry," Quaxo whispered, trying not to give us a fright. I stretched and blinked to clear my vision. Words were swimming in front of my eyes.

"After this, you two need to get some sleep. You've been working for six hours." I looked at Quaxo, then back at _Study of the Magical Arts: Necromancy, Book One._ I hadn't even gotten halfway through it! I quickly tidied up the forty-four pages of notes I had made before tucking into the mouse cakes Quaxo had brought to us.

"Do you like them?" he asked. "I made them myself- Jenny taught me how before she left."

"They're excellent, Quaxo- thank you," Jemima replied. I nodded, and yawned. I didn't want to fall asleep and smudge the ink on my carefully-written notes, so I pulled my coat closer around me and lay on the floor to sleep.

**~*~**

**Jemima's POV**

Tantomile and I studied all of the books that the library had on necromancy. It took us a month to get through them. I had trouble with some of the more technical phrases, and had to have Tanto explain them to me. Once we had finished our note-taking, it was time to get to the _real_ work.

"Okay, Jem. I'm going to go out and find the things we need for these experiments," Tanto announced. I nodded.

"Be careful," I warned. She just smiled and walked out the safe doors of the building.

Luckily, she came back an hour later, lugging a bag full of various objects behind her.

"What's the first thing we need?" I checked our notes, painstakingly recorded and edited. We had decided not to try the things involving cannibalism.

"The ancient Greeks believed that you could tempt souls from the Underworld with fresh blood. We agreed to combine that with some of the runes from that old grimoire. Here are the different pentagrams." I showed her the copied designs. Tantomile stared at them, incorporating them into her memory. Then she grabbed a piece of chalk and drew the five-pointed stars, enclosing one in a circle of herbs and wood shavings, after she had placed the contents of a Scrabble game inside. Once that was done, she carefully poured a mixture of rat's blood and milk into a bowl, setting it inside one of the stars and drawing a circle around it. Tanto stepped into the last star and enclosed herself in a circle.

"Spirits of the departed, I offer you this gift. I call forth Coricopat, son of Synske and Magi, brother of Tantomile, mate of Jemima, daughter of Demeter and Munkustrap." Tantomile's voice seemed to echo off of the walls. "Spirit, please, grace me with your presence." A chilly breeze swept through the air, and I watched in amazement as the Scrabble pieces slowly began to move. There wasn't a sound to be heard as the pieces shifted positions to spell out words.

The pieces stopped moving, and whatever presence that had been there quickly disappeared.

Tantomile scuffed through the lines she had made and turned to me, her face flushed.

"It was him," she whispered. "It was Coricopat! And there were other voices- so many people talking at one time- but I could see him!" I walked over to look at the position of the pieces. They spelled out a message.

**CANT SPEAK**

**GET M AND Q**

**MAKE CLAY GOLEM WITH EYES AND FUR**

**SACRED TRIANGLE**

**USE THE RAT BLOOD AND YEW**

Some seemingly nonsense words were spelled out next, but I could tell that it was an incantation.

**NEED TO TALK**

**LOVE U**

**CORI**.

**~*~**

**And there we have it! There's the next chapter! Please review and tell me how I did. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I had a stroke of brilliance while lying awake in bed the other night. Ghost Whispers shall be the first part in… A TRILOGY! Once I'm done with this fic, I'll probably take some time to work on my crossover, as I'm slowly getting over my writer's block with it… and I shall post a sneak peek of Part 2 of the Sacred Three Trilogy (my name for the trilogy) to keep you guys satisfied (at the end of this.) Anyways… onwards!**

**~*~**

**Tantomile's POV**

"Mistoffelees!" I cried. "Misto! Come quickly!" The Conjuring Cat turned around at the sound of my voice.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong- everything's going great- and I need you and Quaxo to come with me! Quickly!" Confused, the two tuxedo toms followed me into the room where I had done the summoning.

"Tanto, what were you trying to do?" Misto questioned suspiciously. "You should know that attempting spells without the proper protection is dangerous!"

"But it worked! I saw my brother!" He stopped.

"What?" I gestured for him to read the Scrabble-piece message. He quickly glanced over it.

"We'll need clay, sticks, and fur. Tanto, Quaxo, you two can go get it." I hurried out to the river and clawed up some of the clay there. Quaxo arrived at the same time as me with the branches.

"Good," Mistoffelees stated. "Can you help me make a cat-shaped statuette?" We nodded, rushing over to help him.

"I feel like Michelangelo," I commented.

"Personally, I was thinking da Vinci," Quaxo replied, carefully shaping the clay around the sticks. Jemima watched us with interest from a distance, resting a hand on her swollen stomach. She was due in about a month.

Once we finished creating the figurine, we evaluated its form before adding fur.

"I think it looks a bit like a Pollicle," I stated. "It's too stocky and heavyset for a cat."

"It doesn't really matter," Misto declared. "It's just the essence of the thing that counts."

"Are you sure you shouldn't make it more cat-like?" Jemima asked.

"It's fine the way it is!" Mistoffelees argued. "Let's just get this over with." He leaned down in the first position of the Sacred Triangle after putting the fur on. It was the position that Coricopat had taken whenever we needed to perform the rite with Jemima. Quaxo took my usual place, grabbing onto his brother's paw, and I held onto his.

"_Om… jai guru deva… om," _I chanted, beginning and ending each phrase with "Om," which, theoretically, is the cosmic sound of the universe used in meditation. "Jai guru deva" meant, roughly, "Hail to the divine guru." I believe that it was also used in a psych-folk song.

Glowing specks of light began to shine throughout the room as I continued chanting, drifting closer together and converging on the small statue. Whenever a light speck touched the clay and fur, it seemed to be absorbed into it, but still shone through like a tiny sun. Soon, the entire figurine was glowing, and it disintegrated in a flash of blinding light. We were thrust backwards onto the floor with an _"Oompf!"_

I looked up, and into my brother's eyes- but they were surrounded by black fur. Cori's fur wasn't normally black…

"_MISTO, YOU IDIOT!" _Coricopat yelled. _"WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO THEM?! YOU'VE BROUGHT ME BACK AS A POLLICLE!!"_

**~*~**

**Alright, that was pretty short, I have to admit. But the pace starts picking up from here! Poor Coricopat, stuck in a Pollicle's body… I would like to put up the Cycle of Awesomeness (yep, I changed the name) here.**

**More Reviews= Happier Me= Faster Update= Happier You= More Reviews!**

**Guess which song was inspiration for this chapter? It's mentioned, but not by name… whoever guesses first gets… um… my acknowledgement of you being awesome! Yes. That is the prize! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi, folks! I got my first "Author Alert" earlier… *sniffles*… this makes me so emotional… *bursts into tears of joy.* I'd like to thank my teachers, my mom… erm… oh! Yeah! AND MY REVIEWERS!! You guys rock the socks off of the Beatles! (And, coming from me, that's an incredibly high compliment.****)**

**Now for the moment you've all been waiting for…**

**Disclaimer: You guys are too awesome to have forgotten that I don't own CATS.**

**Corico's thought-speak**

_Tantomile's thought-speak_

_**Thought-visions**_

_**Random people's thoughts**_

**~*~**

**Coricopat's POV**

"I told you that it looked too much like a Pollicle, Misto," my mate stated calmly.

"Hey, at least he's alive again!" Mistoffelees argued.

"I am listening, you know," I called. Jemima smiled and walked… well, waddled… over to me and hugged my snout, because I appeared to be a Pollicle of larger-than-normal size. I nuzzled her happily.

"I missed you, Cori," she murmured. "And, as you can probably tell…"

"We're going to be parents." She grinned excitedly.

"Yeah!" She then stepped away and allowed my sister to talk to me.

"So, what is this important thing you have to tell us?" Tanto questioned. She sniffed, and scrunched up her nose.

"You smell gross," she added. I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks ever so much," I drawled, sitting down. "I know what we need to-" I stopped suddenly as voices entered my mind.

_**Why did he stop so suddenly? Is he okay?**_ It was Quaxo's voice.

"I'm fine, Quax," I groaned. "Hold on." He seemed confused.

_**What does he mean, hold on? It's not like we have all day!**_ Misto sounded grumpy. I struggled to un-focus my thoughts from their voices, and spread my awareness further out.

_**Where are they? I need to find Tantomile!**_ Electra's voice filtered through my newly-discovered mind-hearing thing… she was surprisingly close. I focused on her until I could see what she was seeing.

_**They were in a dark alley. Electra was holding on to something… Etcetera's unconscious body.**_

"Electra's nearby, with Cetty, and Cetty's unconscious," I yelped.

"How do you know?" Misto asked.

"I'll explain later. Come on!" I urged, barreling out of the building I had appeared in- a library, by the looks of it.

"Cori!" Jemima cried, starting to run after me.

"Stay here, Jemima," Mistoffelees ordered. She scowled ferociously at him, but sat down.

We had been walking for a minute when my nose caught a familiar scent.

"Electra?" I called.

"Great," I heard a voice groan. "Now I'm hearing voices inside my head. Why does this one sound so much like Coricopat? It's a ghost whisper…"

"Don't worry, Lecs," I said, walking into the alley where her scent led. "I'm hearing voices in my head, too." Of course, I had forgotten that I looked like a Pollicle.

"AAAH!" Electra screamed, jumping a foot in the air.

"Calm down, Electra!" Misto commanded. "He's a friend." Electra stared at him.

"M-Misto? And Tantomile?"

"What am I, chopped liver?" Quaxo and I grumbled. We smiled at each other.

"We need to get Cetty to Jenny and Jelly," Tanto whispered as Misto explained what was going on.

"So the Pollicle is actually Coricopat-"

"Not funny, Misto."

"It's true," I guaranteed. "Remember that time when you fell off of Pounce's rocking chair and onto me?"

"Don't remind me," Electra moaned. Then it hit her. "Cori! You're alive! And… you're a Pollicle?"

"That's what I was saying," Misto said.

"Guys?" my sister summoned. "We need to get Etcetera to the healers. NOW."

"I can teleport us there," Quaxo offered. "But what about Jemima?"

"I'll go and get her, and we can meet up with you in Liverpool," I told him. "Don't worry about us. Just get Cetty somewhere safe." He nodded and, before anyone could object, made them disappear in a flash of light.

**~*~**

**Okay, that one was REALLY short, but… I somehow felt that it would go on too much if I lengthened it. Next one will feature some luverly Cori-Jemmie bonding time… as he runs for over six hours to Liverpool… Poor Corico. And poor Etcie! Who knocked her out like that? I'm not sure yet, either… but I will have it figured out eventually! And, when I do, I will update! As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said,**

…

…

"**I WILL BE BACK."**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi. I'm sorry for updating so late! I hope this chapter makes up for it, and, just to clear things up before you read: the Jellicles have two forms, their Jellicle form (like what you see in the musical) and cat form (which is pretty obvious.) They morph into cat form when they're around humans. Mi capisci? (You've gotta love online translators…) Oh, and I don't have anything against Liverpudlian accents. They rock. Onwards!**

**Disclaimer: See previous chapter.**

_**Coricopat's thoughts**_

_Tantomile's thoughts_

_**Random people's thoughts**_

**Jemima's POV**

"Jemima! Jems, where are you?" my mate called. I could hear his pawsteps thudding throughout the library.

"I'm through here, Cori. Where are the others?" I called. He slowly padded through into the room.

"Quaxo teleported them to Liverpool. Etcetera needed help as soon as possible. I told them I'd fetch you and meet up with them there."

"You do realize that it takes at least six hours to walk to Liverpool from here, right? And we'll have to avoid Macavity's patrols, humans, etcetera etcetera."

"No, Jemima, we're going to _see_ Etcetera in Liverpool." I sighed. As sweet as he may be, Coricopat sometimes got… muddled up.

"Never mind. Let's get going." He grinned, and lay down.

"Greyhound Bus, anyone?" Cori joked.

"You're not a greyhound; you're a pit bull," I pointed out, shifting into my cat form and climbing on his back. I laced my legs around his neck.

"Not so tight, Jems, you're choking me!" I loosened my death grip.

"Sorry; I haven't really ridden on a Pollicle before."

"Yeah, well, I've never really carried you on my back before!"

We received several strange stares from the humans as we ran through the streets, and I even saw some of them back away fearfully.

"Why are they so scared of me?" Corico questioned.

"Maybe it's your eyes. It's not every day they see a Pollicle with cat's eyes." This was proved partially wrong by the whispers of some of the humans.

"Look at it! Its ears are docked- it might be an escaped fighting dog! And look at its eyes- I've never seen a dog with eyes like that, it's unnatural… just as unnatural as a dog carrying a cat on its back!" He ignored the whispers and kept running.

We eventually managed to sneak onto a train. It would have been much, much easier if Skimbleshanks hadn't been trapped in the Junkyard. He could have helped us.

"We should probably get some rest," I stated, leaning into mate's side as we sat in the caboose.

"That's… a good idea…" Coricopat panted, exhausted from the amount of running he had done. He fell asleep in a minute.

**Tantomile's POV**

I watched as the Liverpool Tribe's healer, Skyla, dabbed Etcetera's head with a damp cloth. Her assistant, Keeva, pounded herbal paste with a mortar and pestle. Jenny and Jelly would have been doing these things, but they were gathering herbs.

"Will she be okay?" Electra asked nervously.

"The lass will be fine, once she gets some food an' water into 'er." Skyla, a grey-and-white tabby, stood up to call for Keeva's pastes. She carefully smeared them around Cetty's mouth, and, as with all Jellicles, Cetty subconsciously licked them up.

"We'll keep giving those to her for a few days," Keeva explained. Luckily for us, she had been born in London, so she didn't have that _atrocious _Scouse accent. "They should provide a nutritional boost for her system, to help get her back on her feet."

"That's good," Lecs sighed, relieved. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tuxedoed cat slip out of the medical den, silently shaking.

"Excuse me for a moment," I murmured, padding out of the door. I followed Mistoffelees to the den that Lecs, Quaxo, Misto and I had been placed in.

"Misto?" I called softly, quietly moving into the den. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm so scared, Tanto," he whimpered softly. Gone was the tough façade he had been putting up throughout our journey.

"So am I," I whispered, kneeling next to him.

"I keep on wanting to protect Quaxo, but I just have this feeling that, someday, I'll arrive too late to save him from… from whatever danger, and I'll lose him. And now everyone's relying on me to guide them, and… and…" His voice cracked. "I don't think I can do it anymore, Tanto. I can't do it." I hugged him tenderly.

"It'll be okay, Misto. You brought my brother back from the dead- you can do anything, if you put your mind to it. I believe in you." I suddenly leapt up- I had an idea. "I've got it! You need to relax. Stay here." I hurried back into the medical den.

"Keeva, where's the lemon oil?" I asked. She pointed me towards it, and I grabbed a jar before heading towards the den.

"Alright, Mister Mistoffelees, take your shirt off and lay down." He looked shocked at this suggestion.

"Just do it!" He complied while I heated the oil with a quick charm he had taught me.

"Do you remember that old Siamese guy who came to the 'Yard once?" I inquired.

"Yeah… why?"

"He was a masseuse. He taught me how to give aromatherapy massages." I poured some of the oil onto my palms, rubbing it around a few times before kneading my hands into his back.

"Ow!" he yelped.

"You're… so… _tense_. This will make it better, so quit whining." By the end of it, my hands and wrists hurt. Misto was purring happily, though, so it was worth it.

"Thanks, Tanto." I felt the corners of my mouth twitch upwards in a smile.

"Anytime…" I paused, thinking over my words. "Anytime you want some company, just shout for me, okay?" He nodded, and I left. What had made me say that? I had never been a social cat- what made me suddenly offer my companionship to a tom that I still, after spending so much time with him, knew very little about?

I met up with Electra at the Scouse Tribe's border.

"Have you ever thought about taking a mate, Millie?" she asked, calling me by my kittenhood nickname.

"No, why?" I replied, taken off guard by the strange question.

"You and Misto seem to be pretty close."

"No! It's not like that, Electra! And we're not really _that_ close."

"I'm just saying… he certainly seems to enjoy your company."

"What about you, Lecs? Have you thought about mating?" I inquired, hoping that the abrupt change of focus would put her off.

"Pouncival asked me to be his mate at the next Ball." She sighed. "I accepted, but Macavity took over shortly after that." I sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry," I offered. "We'll take back the 'Yard, someday. It may take a while, but we'll get it back. Then we'll throw the biggest Ball any cat this side of the Atlantic has ever seen!" Electra laughed at my suggestion. I was _not_ fond of partying, and usually retired to bed after a single song. It might have been because nobody had ever wanted to dance with me.

"That's unlikely, coming from you," she joked. "If it was Cetty saying that…" Her smile disappeared at the thought of our unconscious friend.

"She'll be okay, Lecs. Cetty's tough." I was about to offer some more words of comfort, but was cut off by a cry from the Protector, Faolan.

"Pollicle!" I rushed to see a black pit bull bound up to the gate, a calico queen on its back.

"Don't worry," Lecs told him. "That's Tanto's brother."

"It's a long story," I said, responding to his confused look. I jumped down to greet my twin.

We managed to explain everything to the Scouse tribe. Of course, we then had to explain it all over again when Jenny and Jelly came back.

"So… Coricopat is a Pollicle, and Jemima is pregnant?" Jelly clarified.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Electra agreed.

"The first thing you need to do, Jemima, is get some sleep! You should be on bed rest by now!" Jenny's imperious voice cut through the surrounding air like a knife as she clucked and fussed over my sister-in-law. The Gumbie Cat somehow managed to boss her into the maternity section of the medical den, and continued to fuss while Coricopat stared morosely in from outside, as he was too big to fit in.

"Hey, Tanto?" Corico called, seeming to remember something.

"Yes?"

"While I was in Heaviside… I spoke to Bast."

"Ha ha, very funny."

"I'm serious. She gave you the idea to find Misto and resurrect me." I believed him. I knew that he wouldn't make something like that up.

"Why?"

"Because, apparently, we're her spirit-children. Descended from one of her past Lives. She also told me a tale about these cats called the Sacred Three. According to Bast, they're destined to save the Jellicles in times of great trouble."

"I suppose we need to find this 'Sacred Three,' then, because I'd say this counts as a time of great trouble," I replied. He looked at me for a moment, and said bluntly,

"We've already found two of them. You and me, Tanto. Protectors of the Supernatural and Psychic Realms." As he continued to tell me about the Sacred Three, I began to understand a bit more. In Heaviside, there were three realms- the Supernatural, the Psychic, and the Holy. Whoever governed the Psychic Realm gave certain cats mystical powers. The cat that controlled the Supernatural Realm was in charge of the dead, once they had completed all of their nine lives. The controller of the Holy Realm was responsible for assigning cats to their new lives. The Sacred Three were present in every generation, but their powers only showed in "times of great trouble."

Coricopat was rather vague about the powers, saying that Bast hadn't told him much about them, but he knew that each power had to do with what realm the cat governed. He guessed that I had already discovered my power- my ability to see into the future, due to my being "Protector of the Psychic Realm." He also explained that each of the Three's powers were strongest on a different phase of the moon. Mine were strongest on the first and last quarters. Coricopat's powers, whatever they were, were strongest on the new moon. The powers of the Star-cat, Protector of the Holy Realm, were strongest on the full moon. The only time all three's powers were equally as strong was on the solar eclipse- and the next solar eclipse was in two weeks. We needed to find the Star-cat soon.

"Tantomile!" Faolan called, interrupting us. "You're needed for a Council meeting. We 'ave to decide what to do about Macavity. Make war plans and all tha'." I nodded, saying goodbye to my brother, and followed the Liverpudlian Protector.

**Coricopat's POV**

I had lied when talking to Tantomile about the powers. I told her that I didn't know what mine were yet- and it was _almost_ true. I had only discovered one power, and I wasn't sure how useful it would be. I could imagine that people's thoughts floating into my head, whether I wanted them to or not, would be pretty annoying. Especially whenever I next saw the Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina in the same room as each other.

Settling down outside the medical den's entrance, I shifted my focus so I could hear the thoughts more clearly.

_**I wonder how many kits there'll be… **_Jemima thought sleepily. I smiled as I sensed the fuzzy thoughts of our unborn kittens coming from the same general area as hers. I couldn't pick up any specific thoughts, but I could tell that our kits were happy. That was good.

_**How should I tell her? Does she feel the same way?**_ Misto's thoughts were troubled. I didn't know why- perhaps I would talk to him after I was done. Although I didn't know him well, I liked the younger tom, and didn't want to see him sad. Frowning slightly, I moved on, expanding my range further and further… until I reached the Jellicle Junkyard, back in London.

_**Jemima's safe… Jemima's safe…**_Munkustrap's weak mental waves had me worried. It was obvious that he was greatly relieved for his daughter, but his lack of will while he was still chained was frightening. He didn't care whether he lived or died- he just wanted his Tribe to be safe. It was that lack of will that had gotten _me_ killed in the first place. I wasn't sure how he had heard about Jemima's escape, but I hoped that it gave him a boost in morale.

_**I shall attack Piccadilly Circus first. That will show those pathetic humans that even they are no match for me… **_I nearly screamed as I listened to more of Macavity's thoughts. His unnatural powers of perception prevented me from listening for long, though.

_**What?! Who is there?! **_he snarled as I made a hasty retreat from his mind. I quivered as I reviewed what I had learned, because one thing was certain-

Macavity wasn't going to settle for ruling the Jellicles. He wanted to control the humans, too.

**DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!! Now what will happen?! Will Macavity prevail? Will good be crushed forever?! And who is the Star-cat? Tune in to the next episode of "Ghost Whispers" to find out! Except… the next episode might not come for a week… or two… or three… because I'm leaving for London next Thursday. After that, though, I should be able to update more frequently, because I won't have school! Yaaaay!! And I'm going to see the Lion King at the West End! Double yay! I will try and update Battle of the Bands before I go, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage it.**

**More Reviews= Happier Me= Faster Update= Happier You= More Reviews!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'M BACK! (For those of you who didn't know.) I missed you guys while I was in England! I don't want to make this author's note 5000 words long, so I will simply say this about my trip: I got to see two more musicals than expected! I saw the Lion King, Jersey Boys, and Phantom of the Opera at the West End! All were excellent, but PotO nearly made me cry… THREE TIMES. In case you were wondering, those times were the beginning and end of the first act, as well as the end of the second act. Erik's reprise of Masquerade was so sad… also, watching Phantom made me want to write a Phantom/Cats crossover- sorta- fic, with Cori as the Phantom, Jemmie as Christine, and Pounce as Raoul… Anyways! Please tell me if there's anything wrong with Etcie's POV… I've never written her before, or anyone bubbly! And I'm changing my separating-sections thingy to ~GW~. Ahem. On with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CATS. It belongs to TSE and ALW. (Don't you just love acronyms?)**

**~GW~**

**Etcetera's POV**

I blinked and mumbled as my surroundings slowly came into focus.

"Where… where am I?" I murmured.

"Guys! She's awake!" a voice cried. A golden-striped tabby- Electra, I realized- knelt next to the bed I was lying on, and asked me how I felt.

"Erm… hungry, thirsty, and incredibly confused," I replied, frowning. "Do you realize that a Pollicle's poking its head through the door?" She glanced over to the entrance of the den, where a large, black pit bull was blocking the entryway.

"Yeah, I'll explain that later. Right now, you just need to know that you're in Liverpool, that you're safe, and that you fainted from malnutrition, which is why you feel so hungry. At least, that's what Jenny and Jelly tell me."

"Mum's here?" I whispered hoarsely. Electra nodded.

"Coricopat, move out of the way! I need to see Cetty!" I heard a voice order from outside. I blinked again as the Pollicle moved.

"But… Coricopat's dead, isn't he?"

"Well… not exactly." Jemima walked through the doorway. "He's alive, and-" The _craziest_ idea came into my head in the middle of the sentence, and I interrupted her.

"Don't tell me that when you and Millie escaped, you found Misto and got him to bring Cori back to life, and he somehow was brought back as a Pollicle in the process?" She looked at Electra.

"Actually, yeah, that's pretty much what happened."

"Nice to see you again, Cetty," the Jellicle-turned-Pollicle greeted. "By the way, Jems, Jenny's coming this way. She wants to know why you aren't in bed yet." Jemima scowled, and sat on the cot next to me.

"I'm supposed to be on bed-rest," she explained, sighing. "It's so _boring, _especially when I could be doing something to help prepare for the war!"

"There's a war?"

"There's going to be," a gloomy- almost unfamiliar- voice replied. How in the world did Misto manage to sound so depressed?

"I mean, there's no way around it," the tuxedo tom added flatly. "We attack Macavity, he attacks us, or we attack each other at the same time… it's inevitable." He paused to shudder. "I _hate_ violence. I _hate_ it."

"Everyone does, Mistoffelees," Jenny stated, walking into the room. "Except Macavity, but we're not like him. I'm glad to see that you are awake, Etcetera," the medical queen greeted. My mum- Jellylorum- bounded in after her with more energy than I'd ever seen before (which is really saying something… you should see me on a sugar rush…) and hugged me tightly.

"Sweetheart, you're okay," she whispered. "I was so worried…"

"It's okay, Mum!" I responded cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm all better now! Tell me what's happened since I've been unconscious." They took turns explaining the current events to me. I interrupted when Corico started talking about Macavity's plans to attack Piccadilly Circus.

"Wait a second…" I commanded. "If Macavity knew that you were in his mind, he'd change his plans, right?" Everyone nodded. "And, since he's basically trying to launch an attack on Buckingham Palace-"

"How do you know?" Quaxo, who had joined us, cut in.

"Well, he wants to take over the humans, and the queen is obviously in his way! Piccadilly Circus isn't that far from Buckingham Palace- but do you know what is even closer?" I questioned. Electra understood the soonest.

"He's going to attack from Green Park. And he'll want to attack as soon as possible- he won't want to lose the element of surprise," Leccy realized. "I think he'll attack tomorrow."

"We better organize an army more quickly than we thought, then," Misto muttered. "We won't be able to stop him from taking Green Park- maybe all of London- but I can arrange for Her Majesty to be at Windsor for the next few days, without letting Macavity know… That way, I can buy us some more time. We'd have to increase defenses around Windsor first, and then work at Liverpool…" He continued to mutter as he went to set whatever plans he had in motion.

"What about me?" I asked excitedly. "What can I do?"

"You can look after Jemima," Jenny told me sternly. "Your mother and I will be needed to heal wounded soldiers." I tried not to pout. I had been working so hard at my nurse training, but I was assigned to looking after pregnant queens? I mean, Jemima was my friend and all, but it'd still be kinda boring…

"It's okay, Cetty," Jemmie laughed. "We'll think of something to do." I grinned.

"Like paint this den so that it looks like an 80's disco nightclub?"

"Something like that, yeah!" I giggled excitedly.

"Jeeze, Cetty, five minutes after waking up and you already sound like you've drunk five liters of coffee!" Coricopat joked. For a moment, it was just like it had been before Macavity took over- three friends, just laughing together and planning some crazy scheme. Except that one of those friends was pregnant, one was a Pollicle, and one had been unconscious for Bast-knows-how-long. Oh, and everyone was preparing for war. Other than that, it was exactly the same!

**~GW~**

"CETTY!" I heard a shriek come from inside the maternity ward as I was coming back from hunting.

"Cetty! Kittens are coming!" Coricopat yelled as he bounded past me to search for Jenny and my mum.

"MOM! JENNY!" I screamed loudly. All those years of screaming at Tugger had to be useful for _something_, right?

I rushed inside, despite having no experience in these types of things besides watching countless human TV shows. What had they always told the soon-to-be mother?

"Breathe, Jemmie, breathe!" I commanded sternly. As that was the only thing I could think of, I kept on telling her to breathe until the professionals arrived.

"Etcetera, you can go now," Jenny told me softly as she began attending to my friend. "Go try and calm Coricopat." I nodded, and rushed out to where a small crowd- Tantomile, Misto, Quaxo, Electra, and, of course, Coricopat- were gathering.

"Jenny and Jelly have her now," I announced. Everyone exhaled gratefully. Coricopat continued to pace nervously.

"Don't worry," I comforted. "She'll be fine."

That, of course, was proved wrong an hour later.

"Coricopat?" Mum whispered, dipping her head through the door. She had his attention immediately.

"I… I'm sorry… but… she's dying."

He fainted.

**~GW~**

**Coricopat's POV**

_I know that it was somewhat cruel, disconnecting my soul from my body without any warning to the others, but I didn't have any time to waste. I would _not_ let Jemima die, and there was only one way I could think of to save her. So I shot my soul downwards, towards the Kingdom of the Dead._

_I joined an endless sea of other spirits, each one travelling towards death._

"_Jemima," I tried to scream, but my voice was muffled. "Jemima!" Finally, I saw six little blobs of light, one shining more brightly than the others- Jemima and the kits. I drifted towards them, praying that I would get there before it was too late._

"_Cori… go back," my mate whispered. "You shouldn't be here."_

"_I'm not living without you," I said firmly, pushing her back towards the Mortal World with my back paws. With my front paws, I grabbed two of the kittens, and I grabbed another with my tail, shoving them all back into Life. Once they were safe, I dove downwards again. Two of the kits were still in between Life and Death, and I wouldn't let them go until they were safe._

"_Come, little ones," I coaxed, all the while feeling Death beg me to join it._

"_Go away," I growled. "Leave me and my family alone. I control this kingdom, and I do _not_ want my family to become a part of it yet." Once I had grabbed my kittens, I turned around and made my way towards Life._

**~GW~**

When I woke up, the first thing that I noticed was that I was a Jellicle again. I was lying on a cot in the medical den. Jemima was next to me, breathing softly in sleep, and I was surrounded by concerned faces.

"Hi guys," I croaked, then coughed. I was thirsty. _Really_ thirsty. "Can I get some- oof!" My sister had latched on to me tightly, refusing to let go.

"It's okay, Tanto, we're alright… really, I promise." She sniffled, nodding.

"I thought I had lost you forever," she mumbled.

"Don't worry, sis," I comforted. "I'm not going away again for a long time. Neither is Jemima, or…" I looked around frantically. "Where are the kittens?" Jenny brought them out- five little bundles of fluff- in a wicker basket.

"I just finished cleaning them off," she told me. "Do you need anything?"

"A glass of water would be nice," I replied, only half-aware that I was actually saying anything. I knelt down next to my kits- three toms, two queens. At some point, Jemima came and shakily sat next to me.

"Would you like to begin the Naming now?" she questioned quietly.

"Yeah… I do suppose that would be a good idea, wouldn't it?" Jemmie smiled, and took my hand.

The Naming was a sacred Jellicle tradition. Each cat was born with its Second and Third Names. The Second Name was discovered by the parents shortly after the kit was born, but the Third Name was left in mystery, for the kitten itself to find out.

I took a breath, and placed both of our paws on the first kit- a rusty-colored tom's- forehead.

"Jeracat," we said as one, Bast having placed the kit's name in our minds. "The Son." Next was another tom, who greatly resembled Munkustrap.

"Orin- the Pine." After that was a golden-black queen, almost identical to Jemima's mother, Demeter.

"Niamh- the Bright." Twins, with almost exactly the same coloring as me- except for the fact that their fur was lighter, with more reddish-brown highlights- were up next.

"Tadgh- the Poet," we murmured softly, touching the head of the silver-striped tom.

"Selene- the Moon," was the name of his sister. We both shook our heads slightly, coming out of whatever trance we had been in. I could feel a grin spreading across my face as I fingered Selene's tiny paws.

I was a daddy!

**~GW~**

**Tumblebrutus's POV**

I sighed as I walked my evening rounds. There wasn't really any point- we were almost constantly watched by guards, so it felt like we were canaries trapped in a cage.

"I wish I may, I wish I might, escape from this dank place tonight," I muttered, gazing at the one star I could see in the sky. All of a sudden, a scrap of paper caught my eye.

**GET EVERYONE OUT. **_**NOW!**_

**~MISTO**

I suppressed a yelp. It was finally time for the Resistance to go to work! At last, all those careful months of planning and preparation would be set into action.

_Don't worry, Coricopat; you won't have died for nothing…_

**~GW~**

"Shh!" Mungojerrie hushed as everyone crept through the prison cells of Macavity's lair. We had somehow managed to knock out the cats guarding the prison, and it was a miracle that our party of fourteen Jellicles hadn't been discovered yet. We were going to rescue Munkustrap, then escape.

"This way," Mungo ushered, directing us through the labyrinth of passageways. "'Ere's Munk's cell." His sister, Rumpleteazer, quickly pulled out a lock-picking kit from one of her boots and got to work. In a few minutes, the door swung open to reveal a starved-looking Protector.

"Hm…?" he murmured sleepily.

"C'mon, Munk, we're getting you out of here," I whispered, helping Alonzo to lift him up. Our tribe slinked through the corridors and into the moonlight. The silver tabby Protector winced- he hadn't been outside for months.

With much struggling, we managed to get everyone out of the Fire Zone safely and onto a train headed to Liverpool. It was the only train running at midnight.

"Don't worry, Cetty," I whispered to the star I had noticed earlier. "I'll find you somehow."

**~GW~**

**Yay! Kittens! And the Jellicles escaped from Macavity! But this story isn't quite over yet- there's still a few more chapters to go! Please vote in the poll on my profile, if you haven't already, because I need to know what to do after this (while I work out the plot for the sequel.) Here's a quick guide to Cori and Jemmie's kittens, in case it wasn't clear enough in the chapter:**

**Jeracat- a rusty-furred tom. Name is pronounced the same way it's spelt- like Jer (short for Jerrie, short for Mungojerrie) a (the article) and cat (this one should be fairly obvious.) I couldn't find any names that I liked for him online, so I just kinda smushed together Jemima and Coricopat to get Jemapat, then changed a few consonants…**

**Orin- a silver tabby tom. Looks like Munkustrap. Name is pronounced like it's spelled: o (like in AUra) and rin (like in RINse.) It means "pale green" in Irish, and "pine tree" in Hebrew… originally, I thought it meant Protector… boy, was I wrong!**

**Niamh- Pronounced "neev." I thought it meant "the north wind," but it turned out to mean "brightness"… who would'a thunk? She looks like Demeter.**

**Tadgh- Pronounced like the TIG in TIGER. Means "poet."Tadgh looks like Cori, but lighter and with more red-brown (from Jemima's side.)**

**Selene- Pronounced "sel-een." Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon, before Artemis came along and replaced her. She looks exactly like Tadgh, but female.**

**So… yep! Oh, and if you have ANY constructive criticism at ALL, please do tell me! I want to improve as I writer, because I'd like to be an author someday, so this is kinda like practice for me. **

**More Reviews/Constructive Criticism= Happier Me= Faster Update= Happier You= More Reviews/Concrit!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hiyas, peeps! I'm SO sorry for the late update… CURSE YOU, WRITER'S BLOCK!**

**I was just thinking… if any of you like to draw, and want to illustrate a story but think, "WHAT DO I ILLUSTRATE?" feel absolutely free to illustrate one of my fics… as long as you post it somewhere and give me a link. *smiles cheesily* Anyways, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cats, blah blah blah, etc etc etc… I also don't own the Who's rock musical thing, Tommy, which I may have misquoted…**

_Thought-speech_

**~GW~**

**Tantomile's POV**

Mistoffelees and I silently padded along through the gardens of Buckingham Palace (in cat form, of course.)

"Are you sure this will work?" I questioned for the fiftieth time. He sighed.

"Yes, Tanto, it'll work. I'm sure of it. Come over here and give me a lift up." Grumbling slightly, I stepped over to the large oak tree Misto was stationed under. I let him balance on my back as he tried to stick his claws into the tree.

"I still can't believe that you have trouble climbing trees without help," I complained.

"I'm small, it's not my fault!"

"Yeah, yeah- stop talking and start climbing, Mister Mistoffelees- or should I call you 'Mister Midget-lees?'"

"Ha ha, you're so hilarious Tantomile," he snapped sarcastically, hoisting himself onto a branch. Once he was securely balanced, I bounded up after him, and we tightrope-walked along the bough to the Queen's bedroom balcony.

"Meow!" I cried, scraping my claws gently along the door, being careful not to damage the wood. Misto joined me in my attempts to get inside.

"Meow! Meow! _Meow! MEOW!" _ I could hear footsteps coming towards the door, and, as it opened, we were greeted by the Queen.

"Good morning, kitties," her Majesty murmured. "How did you get up here?"

"Meow," I replied. She laughed softly.

"Indeed," she stated. "I suppose you want some cream, don't you?" She stepped aside so we could enter, and we trotted daintily past. She called for a servant to fetch a dish of cream, and I reveled in the luxury of having a human care for me again… especially since that human was the Queen of England!

_Don't forget the mission, _Mistoffelees reminded me. I rolled my eyes as her Majesty scratched me behind the ears.

_I've told you five million times already, Mister Midget-lees; you're too tense! _I was suddenly reminded of a joke. _I met a guy once. He kept saying, "I'm a teepee! I'm a wigwam! I'm a teepee! I'm a wigwam!" I said to him, "Relax! You're two tents!" Get it?_ It was now Misto's turn to roll his eyes.

_Yes, Tanto, I get it._ _Can we just get this over with? _I stuck my tongue out at him.

_Fine._ Concentrating slightly, I shifted my attention to the queen, focusing on letting her hear my message.

_Your Majesty? Can you hear me?_ I questioned. She looked around as Misto decided to be funny, and sang softly,

_Tommy, can you hear me? Can you feel me with you…?_

"Who's there?" her Majesty inquired. "Come to where I can see you!"

_You __can__ see me, your Majesty. I'm the cat._

"That's ridiculous!"

_I know it sounds hard to believe, your Majesty, but I swear by Bast that it's true._

"Bast? The Egyptian cat goddess?"

_Yes, your Majesty. Please do not be surprised as what you are about to see. Do not scream. Do not call the guards. Can you do that for me, you Majesty?_

"Yes…" I took a breath, preparing myself for what I was about to do. I was about to break the rule that had been imprinted into my mind ever since I was born. I was about to reveal myself to a human.

"Your Majesty, my name is Tantomile of the Jellicles," I greeted, shifting into my Jellicle form. The Queen did as promised, and didn't scream.

"This is my friend, Mistoffelees," I added, gesturing to Misto as he also came out of cat form. "He is a conjurer."

"It's an honor to meet you, your Majesty," Misto said, bowing elegantly. I saw him cast a "charming" hex out of the corner of my eye. It would (hopefully) make the Queen believe what we were going to tell her.

"What… what are you, exactly? Why are you here?" she asked, shaking slightly.

"The Jellicles are a magical breed of human-cat hybrids, your Majesty," Misto explained. "We have kept ourselves hidden from humanity for millions of years… until now. One of our kind has gone rogue, amassing an army which he will try to use to take over the world. We have received information from a highly reliable source that this rogue- Macavity- will try and attack you. We are here to protect you." He paused, allowing for it to sink in.

"Continue," her Majesty ordered.

"Macavity knows that you are at Buckingham Palace. With your permission, we would like to teleport you to Windsor Castle. We have guards there who can protect you," I stated. "You will be much safer there while we attempt to bring about Macavity's defeat." I was beginning to feel anxious. This was taking too long, and I wanted to spend some more time with my nieces and nephews before the sun went down. I knew that my brother had been in some type of trance for the last few days, spending most of his time in his den with Jemima and the kits, and I wanted him to be able to get out for a little while. It would be good for him.

"Alright," the Queen agreed. "But at least let me send a carriage somewhere else as a distraction."

"Of course, your Majesty," I replied. "I also suggest that we create a video of sorts, to let the rest of England know about the Jellicles… before the battles begin."

"Battles?" she whispered.

"Yes, you Majesty. We wish they could be avoided but, unfortunately, they cannot."

"If you need more soldiers… I could send some of the Royal Army?" she offered doubtfully.

"That is a very kind offer, you Majesty, but human weapons cannot hurt Jellicles when we're in this form- just as Jellicle weapons cannot hurt humans." She looked surprised, and opened her mouth to ask a question- but then she thought better of it and nodded.

"I shall call for one of the maids to bring a video camera," she decided. Misto and I shifted back into our cat forms as the maid entered, looking very confused as to why the Queen of England needed a video camera. She then swiftly left again, leaving us with her Majesty.

Once the video had been filmed and the carriage sent, Mistoffelees teleported us to Windsor.

**~GW~**

**Coricopat's POV**

"You can't be serious." I gaped at Jenny as she delivered the news. "It… it can't be! It's impossible!"

"I'm afraid so, Coricopat," she replied sadly. "He doesn't respond to verbal cues. I." She handed Tadgh to Jemima, and he wrapped a tiny hand around her finger.

"It's okay, sweetheart," my mate cooed softly- whether to Tadgh or me, I wasn't sure. "Everything will turn out okay in the end." She was right. This wasn't the end of the world. We would survive…

Unless Macavity killed us.

_**Don't think like that, Coricopat,**_ I told myself sternly. _**I won't let him get my family.**_

"There's also a possibility that one of the other kits has a disability," Jenny added quietly.

"But- but wouldn't you know by now?" I begged.

"Not if the kit's blind. Their eyes haven't opened yet… we'll know in a few more days," she promised. I sighed.

"Alright." I turned to look at Tadgh, when a thought struck me.

_**He'll never hear the sounds of fighting.**_ _**Of crying. **_This gave me some sort of deranged comfort, until I thought,

_**He'll never hear his mother sing, or the ocean, or crickets chirping, or…stop it, Coricopat! You're making yourself depressed,**_ I demanded. Jemima gently nuzzled my shoulder.

"It'll be alright," she assured again. I attempted to smile at her.

"It'll be alright," I repeated quietly. "It'll be alright…"

**~GW~**

**Okay, it was kinda short. But I wanted to end the chapter there. And I wasn't sure how to transition it properly to the next section without making it really, really choppy (well, choppier than it already is…) so… yeah. I think I'll be able to update a bit faster next time! Although I'm starting school again soon… and then I'm going to South Africa… (yeah, my family travels a lot.)**

**More Reviews= Happier Me= Faster Update= Happier You= More Reviews!**


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